Project: Praça do Comércio, Lisbon
Hess AG illuminates the Praça do Comércio in Lisbon
Praça do Comércio's majestic appearance is by no means solely attributable to its colossal proportions. To the south, it opens spaciously to the river Tejo, which, during Portugal's period of glory, was the site where prestigious foreign guests first set foot on Portuguese soil. Government buildings with arcades enclose the other three sides of the plaza. Through a triumphal arch, embellished with statues of key figures in Portuguese history, pedestrians access one of the city's most popular retail districts from the plaza's north side. An equestrian statue of King José I of Portugal is at the centre of the plaza.
Hess AG's 5.7- and 7.2-metre City Elements illuminating columns light the plaza, creating a very appealing atmosphere. Their multifunctionality and elegant design made them the ideal choice for the plaza. Positioned on the three sides of the plaza where buildings enclose the square, the City Elements columns uniformly illuminate the entire plaza with pleasant glare-free light.
Additional floodlights integrated in the columns illuminate the building facades, transforming the plaza into a place of splendid magnificence every evening. Precision-engineered by Hess, the high-efficiency reflectors together with the HIT lamps deliver a noticeably improved quality of lighting while requiring relatively fewer lighting units. Moreover, the luminaires meet the project specification for energy-saving operation.
Besides the 18 illuminating columns, Hess also provided the lighting for the roadway running along the bank of the river. Mounted at 9.8 and 10.6 metres above grade the two Tanella and six Vela luminaires were specially fit for the specific requirements of their installation's location, permitting increased between-unit spacing for an optimum view of the shore on the opposite side of the river.
